Combination shelf and coat hanger support



p 5, 1957 J. c. ODEGAARD ET AL I 3,339,749

COMBINATION- SHELF AND COAT HANGER SUPPORT Filed Sept. 30, 1965 I 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS JOHN C. ODEGAARD RAFAEL T. BUSTOS BY MW, M r My.

ATTORNEYS p -5 19 7 J. c. ODEGAARD Em 3,339,749

COMBINATION SHELF AND COAT HANGER SUPPORT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 30, 1965 mvmozzs JOHN c. ODEGAARD RAFAELT BUSTOS BY M 44 4/ g/ 4 ATTORNEY5 Sept. 5, 1967 J. C.,ODEGAARD ET AL 3 COMBINATION SHELF AND COAT HANGER SUPPORT 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed Sept. so, 1965 FIGG INVENTORS I JOHN C ODEGAARD RAFAEL T. BUSTOS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,339,749 COMBINATION SHELF AND COAT HANGE SUPPORT John C. Odegaard, Chamblee, and Rafael T. Bustos, At-

lanta, Ga., assignors, by mesne assignments, to Boise Cascade Corporation, Boise, Idaho, a corporation of Delaware Filed Sept. 30, 1965, Ser. No. 491,530 4 Claims. (Cl. 211-94) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Coat hanger support means adapted for mounting upon the front edge of a closet shelf to decorate and strengthen the same, said support means containing at its lower portion means defining a channel for slidably receiving a slider element adapted to carry a coat hanger. The invention also relates to the novel structure of the slider element per se, which is designed for simple attachment and removal of the coat hanger.

This invention relates to a combination shelf and coat hanger support such as may be used in a clothes closet.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel coat hanger support which may be economically manufactured and easily applied to the front edge of a shelf to reinforce the shelf while providing a slide track for coat hanger receiving elements hereinafter termed sliders.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a coat hanger support which facilitates engagement and disengagement of coat hangers as well as manipulation and movement of the coat hange'rs along the associated track. Included in this object is the'provision'i'n such a 3,339,749 Patented Sept. 5 1967 In the preferred embodiment, support member 14 is an extruded aluminum channel dimensioned to extend substantially throughout the length of the shelf. Channel 14.

includes an elongated web section 24 and a pair of overlying spaced flanges 26, 28 projecting laterally at right I angles from the upper end of web 24 to define an elongated 32 which are forced into the shelf 12 and prevent itsv release from passage 30. Moreover, the upper section 24a of web 24 defining the back wall of passage 30 is formed with an increased thickness ,forstrengthening purposes.

Adjacent the opposite end of web 24 on the same side.

as flanges 26, 28 thereis formed a depending right angle flange including a first portion 36 projecting laterally at right angles from web 24 and a second portion 38 depending downwardly at right angles from first portion 36 to define a second elongated passage extending longitudinally throughout the channel. A track for supporting sliders 18 for movement along the underside of the channel is formed at the open end'of passage 40 by opposed flanges 42 and 44 projecting transversely from Web portion 24b and flange portion 38 respectively along the full length of the channel.

Sliders 18 are formed from any suitable low friction material such as nylon or plastic sold under the trademark Celcon or Delrin. Each slider .18 includes a flat body having an aperture 46 for receiving coat hangers 16;

coat hanger support of sliders having an improved construction.

A further object ofthe present invention is to provide a coat hanger support which although attached-to the front edge of a shelf is nevertheless decorative.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is apartially exploded, perspective view of a combination'shelf and coat hanger support embodying the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmental, cross-sectional view taken generally along lines 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a combination shelf and. another embodiment of coat hanger support representing the present invention;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmental cross-sectional View taken generally along lines 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a partially exploded perspective view of a combination shelf and coat hanger support illustrating the preferred embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is an enlarged, fragmental, cross-sectional view taken generally along lines 66 of FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of the present invention including a typical wooden shelf 10 having an article support surface 12; and a coat hanger support member, generally designated 14, attached to the front edge of the shelf. Coat hangers such as designated 16 are suspended from support member 14 by sliders 18 which are mounted for slidable movement in support member 14 as will be described subsequently. Shelf 10 may be secured in a closet (not shown) in any suitable manner such as by means of transverse end supports 20 fixed to the side walls of the closet. If desired, a longitudinal support member such as 22 may be provided for the shelf as shown in FIG. 1.

. in FIG. 2. This bevelling also may be employed to faciliverse mounting portion 48 dimensioned to engage on.

track flanges 42, 44 to maintain the sliders on the track with their apertures 46 disposed in a plane perpendicular to the direction of insertion of the coat hangers to thus facilitate engagement and dis-engagement of the coat hangers. v r

The thickness of the slider body isless than the width of the opening 41 into passage 40 to enable insertion of. the sliders through the ends of track passage 40 during assembly. To eliminate sharp edges, track flanges 42 and 44 are bevelled at 49 outwardly from passage 40 as shown tate direct insertion of other typesof sliders.

On the sideof the channel opposite flanges 26, 28, provision is rnade for applying a decorative strip 50 of cloth,

plastic, leather or veneer to the channel to enhance its' appearance; In the preferred form this is accomplished by a pair of elongated longitudinally extending retaining ribs 52 formed at the opposite ends of Web 24 to project laterally in a direction opposite to flanges 26, 28. Retaining ribs 52 include re-entrant portions which in effect define a longitudinal recess for receiving decorative strip 50.

Another embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 wherein a right angle flange, generally designated 60, is employed in forming both the shelf receiving passage 62 and the track passage 64. This, in effect, eliminates the intermediate Web portiton which spaces passages 30 and 40 of the above-described embodiment. Additionally, in the presently described embodiment, upper flange 66 is formed with less of a transverse dimension than portion 68 of flange 60. Initial mounting of the channel to the shelf is facilitated in this manner.

Referring now to FIGS. 5 and 6, the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated as being generally similar to that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with the following exceptions.

In the preferred embodiment, the channel 70 is made equal in length to the shelf 72 and both are received at their opposite ends in notches 74 formed in the end supports. 76 of the closet. Moreover, flange 77 and its track forming passage.78 in the preferred embodiment are reduced in size to inhibit movement of the slides 80 so as to provide smooth sliding action. This additionally reduces the extrusion material while strengthening the channel. To conceal scratches on the external face of the channel often occurring as a result of the extrusion process, a series of parallel grooves 82 are formed longitudinally in the external face ofthe channel.

Sliders 80 in the preferred embodiment are of unique construction and comprise a mounting portion 84 dimensioned to be received in channel passage 78 and engaged on track forming flanges 79 to be slideable along flanges 79. Integrally depending from mounting portion 84 adjacent opposite sides of its transverse neutral axis are two hook portions each including a stem portion 86 and a toe portion 88 extending approximately 60 from the stem portion toward mounting portion 84 and spaced from the latter. In use, coat hangers are inserted merely by lateral passage through the space between mounting and toe portions 84 and 88 and finally lodged in the recess at the juncture therebetween.

To ensure against accidental dislodgment of coat hangers from the sliders, the extremities of toe portions 88 are provided with a re-entrant protuberance 90.

. Sliders 80 thus highly facilitate insertion and removal of coat hangers by avoiding the necessity of twisting and then aiming the coat hanger through apertures as is necessary in conventional sliders. Additionally, coat hangers are lodged adjacent the neutral axes of the sliders thereby minimizing binding of the sliders in the channel track. Sliders 80 further serve to space adjacent coat hangers to avoid wrinkling or crushing of clothes hung on the coat hangers.

Other modifications and adaptations of the present invention may become apparent from the foregoing specification but without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention covered by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A coat hanger slider adapted to be slideably received in a supporting track or the like, the slider comprising a mounting portion dimensioned to be engaged on a supporting track, a pair of coat hanger receiving hooks integrally depending from said mounting portion closely adjacent the transverse neutral axis of said mounting portion, said hooks each including a stem portion depending from said mounting portion and a toe portion projecting obliquely generally from the end of said stem portion towards said mounting portion to define a recess for receiving coat hangers.

2. The slider defined in claim 1 wherein said hooks are co -planar, said stem portions are rectilinear and parallel to each other, and said toe portions approximately extend relative to the associated stem portions.

3. The slider defined in claim 2 wherein toe portions have a protuberance on the extremities thereof.

4. Channel means for strengthening and decorating the front edge of a closet shelf and for slidably supporting coat hanger slider means, comprising a rigid body having a vertical web portion the length of which is generally equal to the length of the shelf, said body including adjacent its upper edge a pair of vertically spaced, rearwardly extending horizontal shelf strengthening flanges adapted to engage the upper and lower surfaces of the shelf when the rear surface of the web portion engagesthe front surface of the shelf, said body including also a horizontal first portion extending rearwardly from said web portion, and a vertical second portion extending downwardly from said first portion and terminating opposite the lower edge of said web portion, the lower extremities of the web and second portions containing inwardly directed horizontal flanges extending longitudinally the length of said web portion and c0- operating to define horizontal slider supporting surfaces, said body member including also parallel horizontal retaining rib means extending forwardly adjacent the lower and upper edges of the front face of said webportion, respectively; decorative insert mounted on the front face of said web portion between said retaining ribs; and a coat hanger slider mounted for sliding movement along said rigid body, said slider including at its upper end a transversely extending mounting portion supported by said slider supporting surfaces, said slider extending downwardly between said flanges and including at its lower end a coat hanger receiving portion including a pair of obliquely arranged surfaces at least partially defining a pair of recesses, respectively, for receiving coat hangers.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,570,731 10/1951 Susnow 248-247 2,597,224 5/ 1952 Charron et a1. 16-87.6 2,608,777 9/1952 Schuler 40-16 2,856,711 10/1958 Hobbs 40-16 3,051,318 8/1962 Murphy 211-94 3,273,197 9/1966 Ford 16-94 FOREIGN PATENTS 502,830 5/1951 Belgium.

ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

W. D. LOULAN, Assistant Examiner. 

4. CHANNEL MEANS FOR STRENGTHENING AND DECORATING THE FRONT EDGE OF A CLOSET SHELF AND SLIDABLY SUPPORTING COAT HANGER SLIDER MEANS, COMPRISING A RIGID BODY HAVING A VERTICAL WEB PORTION THE LENGTH OF WHICH IS GENERALLY EQUAL TO THE LENGTH OF THE SHELF, SAID BODY INCLUDING ADJACENT ITS UPPER EDGE A PAIR OF VERTICALLY SPACED, REARWARDLY EXTENDING HORIZONTAL SHELF STRENGTHENING FLANGES ADAPTED TO ENGAGE THE UPPER AND LOWER SURFACES OF THE SHELF WHEN THE REAR SURFACE OF THE WEB PORTION ENGAGES THE FRONT SURFACE OF THE SHELF, SAID BODY INCLUDING ALSO A HORIZONTAL FIRST PORTION EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM SAID WEB PORTION, AND A VERTICAL SECOND PORTION EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY FROM SAID FIRST PORTION TERMINATING OPPOSITE THE LOWER EDGED OF SAID WEB PORTION, THE LOWER EXTREMITIES OF THE WEB AND SECOND PORTIONS CONTAINING INWARDLY DIRECTED HORIZONTAL FLANGES EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY THE LENGTH OF SAID WEB PORTION AND COOPERATING TO DEFINE HORIZONTAL SLIDER SUPPORTING SURFACES, SAID BODY MEMBER INCLUDING ALSO PARALLEL HORIZONTAL RETAINING RIB MEANS EXTENDING FORWARDLY ADJACENT THE LOWER AND UPPER EDGES OF THE FRONT FACE OF SAID WEB PORTION, RESPECTIVELY; A DECORATIVE INSERT MOUNTED ON THE FRONT FACE OF SAID WEB PORTION BETWEEN SAID RETAINING RIBS; AND A COAT HANGER SLIDER MOUNTED FOR SLIDING MOVEMENT ALONG SAID RIGID BODY, SAID SLIDER INCLUDING AT ITS UPPER END A TRANSVERSELY EXTENDING MOUNTING PORTION SUPPORTED BY SAID SLIDER SUPPORTING SURFACES, SAID SLIDER EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY BETWEEN SAID FLANGES AND INCLUDING AT ITS LOWER END A COAT HANGER RECEIVING PORTION INCLUDING A PAIR OF OBLIQUELY ARRANGED SURFACES AT LEAST PARTIALLY DEFINING A PAIR OF RECESSES, RESPECTIVELY, FOR RECEIVING COAT HANGERS. 